


Never have I ever gotten locked in 17 City Books after hours

by VoidLeviathan



Series: Coffee-Stained Books - Half Life AU [3]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware, Half-Life
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Locked In, M/M, Never Have I Ever, Silly, Something light to write amongst an au that has quite a few sad fics?, This fic was literally just to be silly, Thought yall would like it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25014307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidLeviathan/pseuds/VoidLeviathan
Summary: "Never have I ever gotten locked in 17 City Books after hours.""Aw come on, that ones not fair!" Barney snapped, "You know that only happened to me!"A fit of laughter picked up around the group, Gordon himself unable to contain his own giggles thinking about the entire ordeal now.
Relationships: Barney Calhoun/Gordon Freeman, Benrey/Tommy Coolatta/Gordon Freeman
Series: Coffee-Stained Books - Half Life AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756636
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Never have I ever gotten locked in 17 City Books after hours

**Author's Note:**

> A HEADS UP
> 
> This is part of the Coffee-Stained Books AU  
> Meaning there are exactly 
> 
> TWO PEOPLE
> 
> Named Gordon Freeman  
> Freeman is the Gordon of HLVRAI  
> Gordon is our good mute boy regular Gordon Freeman from HL itself 
> 
> I always feel like I gotta clear this up because it gets confusing  
> Gordon is NOT dating both Barney and Benrey thats fucking weird 
> 
> Theres TWO of them  
> TWO  
> They are no related  
> They're just friends who are both trans and happened to take the same name from the same character. 
> 
> That being said this wasn't beta read and I fixed what I caught myself but I might go back and fix more of it later.

It was late and frankly none of them should have been awake after an entire wedding just for Gordon and Barney happened only hours ago. But something about the company and the silly warmth their friends brought kept everyone going well into the next morning. They were on a game of  _ Never Have I Ever _ currently with everyone opting to use water due to the amount of excitement they already had before.

It was Alyx's turn and fully knowing the chaos story she was about to cause, she looked directly at Barney with a massive grin.

"Never have I ever gotten locked in 17 City Books after hours."

"Aw come on, that ones not fair!" Barney snapped, "You  _ know  _ that only happened to me!"

A fit of laughter picked up around the group, Gordon himself unable to contain his own giggles thinking about the entire ordeal now.

"Wait wait game paused,  _ you were the dumb idiot that got locked in the bookstore _ ?" Benrey had a curious tone to his question that Barney was more than familiar with. 

He wouldn't be able to avoid the story even if he tried.

"Yes! It was me! And hey before you go around poitin' fingers, Gordon over here was the one that locked me in, in the first place!"

" _ In my defense I was exhausted and you shouldn't have even been there after hours." _ Gordon signs, " _ You knew full well that our store closed at nine. _ "

"Yeah well...well you knew I slept there a lot!"

"Maybe we shouldn't uhm..start a fight about it?" Tommy suggests, worriedly looking over to Freeman who offered only a small smile in return to his partner. That was right, Freeman didn't favor yelling.

Barney huffed.

"I'll tell the story under one condition; you assholes don't let it leave this room. Consider it an after wedding gift from one of the grooms to you."    
  
“ _ I, however, give you full permission to tell it to anyone who isn’t garbage _ .” Gordon chimes in.    
  
“Yeah yeah go and ruin the fun. Now where do I start...I think it was around eleven when it actually happened.”  
  


* * *

  
Gordon was tired. Exhausted. Customer after Customer.    
Picky parent after picky parent with the usual crying child.    
  
He didn’t know what it was about this day in particular, but it all started to get to be too much. Usually he had the energy left to stay till around two am without a problem, but today was so much he didn’t think he could spend another second standing without passing out at some point.    
  
So Gordon decided to cut it at eleven. Stack some books, sort a few and put them away, and set the rest of the boxes up to look through tomorrow with his dad before they officially opened. As Gordon began to close up he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something.    
  
He just didn’t know what it was.    
  
“If you forgot it then its probably not important right now, Gordon.” Was what Kleiner always told him. Well he may as well take that advice now and think about it later. Flipping the store lights and locking the door behind him; Gordon began the walk home and ignored the continuous line of thoughts that tried to tell him what he forgot was, in fact, very important.    
  
Because what he forgot was one Barney Calhoun sleeping at a back corner table as he usually did after getting off work and instantly going into study mode in 17 City Books.    
  
Usually Gordon would remember to walk over and wake Barney up before closing, but due to the tiredness his brain kept forcing him to acknowledge, he’d fully forgotten Barney all together while putting his few things away and leaving.    
  
Barney, being a pretty hard sleeper himself, eventually finally woke around three completely disoriented and confused. At first he assumed he was home, but the pain in his back and the hard surface below him told otherwise. And when did he ever have glow in the dark stars around his room?   
  
And a table like this?    
  
And book...shelves….oh no.   
  
Oh No.    
  
Barney shot up from the table, trying his hardest to keep his breath steady as he quickly looked around for anyone in the shop. It was empty, obviously, but it was worth a shot. So he tried the side door up to Isaac Kleiner’s apartment.    
  
Didn’t work.    
Neither did the front door.    
He was locked in.    
  
Okay maybe it _ was _ the best time for panic. He couldn’t exactly call Isaac, didn’t know the guys number. Why would he have the store owners number? And he certainly couldn’t call Gordon. Didn’t have his number either.    
  
Barney cursed himself under his breath for not just asking the other day when Gordon stopped by to pick up his coffee.    
  
“Think Calhoun think. Who would be up this late?” pacing the store, he stopped, was his phone even charged? Thankfully yes it was when he pulled it out of his pocket to see the battery life at 50%.    
  
Tommy. He could call Tommy.    
Tommy would be up this late.   
Hopefully.    
  
He’d be too embarrassed to call Alyx at this hour and feel terrible if she was late to school the next day because of him.    
  
The phone rang.    
And rang.    
And rang.    
With each ring it felt as if a rock settled at the pit of Barney’s stomach.    
“Please pick up”    
  
“Barney? What- why are you calling at uh...three twenty am?” Tommy yawned.    
Shit he was sleeping.    
  
“Tommy I...I kinda need some help. I might be late to work tomorrow.”   
  
“Did something happen? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”    
  
“No.” Barney sighed, “I’m not...m’ not hurt I just...don’t laugh at me okay? I might uh...might…” He paused.    
  
“Might what? Barney what uhm...whats going on? I’m really ti-”   
  
“I’m locked in 17 City Books and I don’t know how to get out.” Barney finally blurted.    
  
Tommy laughed.    
A honest to god hard laugh that Barney should be mad at if it weren’t for the fact that he found the situation a little funny himself.    
  
“You’re  _ what? _ H-how did that...how did that happen? Wh-what? Are you okay?”    
  
“I’m fine I’m just...look do you by chance of Gordon’s number at all? I can’t call him because I never got it and I don’t know who else to call because I also don’t have mister Kleiner’s number either and-”   
  
“Did you uhm...did you call Eli?”   
  
“Why would I call-”   
  
“He has the store owner’s number! They uh- they’re  _ really good _ friends. They...uhm...they just...they have each other’s number? Or should? Eli could call him for you.”    
  
“Right. Stupid me why didn’t I even think of that?” Barney tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose, his brain really refused to work right tonight. “Okay right uhm..thanks Tommy you’re a big help bud.”    
  
“Be safe and uhm...if you need me to? I can come pick you up.”    
  
“Thanks Tom…”    
  


With a soft click of the phone, Barney ran a hand through his hair. How would he even begin to explain the situation to Eli? The guy was basically his dad at this rate. He could just hear the disappointed tone in his voice.    
  
Maybe he should just stay here until morning.    
Would Gordon be upset with him?    
Man, he didn’t even want to think about Gordon right now. He barely knew the guy and now here he was probably going to have to -    
  
The side door clicked.    
That was weird. Maybe he was just imagining things.

  
Another click.    
  
Oh.

  
It was being unlocked.    
  
“ _ Shit _ …”   
  
“Do you see anything Gordon?” Isaac whispered. His voice dripping with obvious nervousness. Gordon, currently holding a bat, looked around the bookstore carefully. It really didn’t help that both he and his dad didn’t have the greatest eyesight in the world. Or that he left his glasses upstairs.    
  
“ _ I don’t...see anyone _ ?” He hastily spelled out as fast as he could with one hand. “ _ Maybe...maybe it was just...nothing? Might have been Lam _ -”   
  
His sentence was quickly cut off by Barney stepping in front of them and without thinking, Gordon picked up the first book he could grab and threw it at him. His fight instinct working faster than his brain could, he hadn’t even processed that it was the poor college student until Barney was holding his head groaning in pain.    
  
“What the hell!?”    
  
“Wh- Barney? What are you doing here so late? I- let me go grab you the first aid kit.” and just like that, Isaac was gone back up stairs, leaving Barney and Gordon alone in the dark store.   
  
Gordon instantly dropped the bat to kneel next to Barney and look over the damage. Luckily the corner of the book only nicked his head, but it didn’t make Gordon feel any less guilty for not thinking properly.    
  
“ _ I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to I just...we thought someone broke in and- jeez why are you even here? Are you going to be okay? How’d you…”  _ as fast as the questions were asked, the situation became clearer and clearer. Gordon blushing slightly with embarrassment while he clicked everything together. “ _ I am so sorry Barney I didn’t know you were still- _ ”   
  
Barney started shaking.    
Gordon instantly took it was crying but the noise coming from the barista said otherwise.    
He was…laughing?    
  
“You should have seen your face! Holy shit I’ve never seen someone act so fast like that before!” He laughed. Really laughed. Barney couldn’t even actually remember the last time he laughed this hard since Alyx causing the scar already on his face back in the cafe last year.    
  
“ _ Why are you...laughing? _ ” It only made sense that Gordon was confused. Poor guy was probably just as exhausted as Barney currently felt.    
  
“Because I just- I-” Barney too a deep breath. He needed to contain himself for at least a few seconds to explain properly.    
  
But lord was his laughter contagious. Gordon, as confused as he was, couldn’t help but join in until both of them were in a laughing fit together on the floor. Eventually they collected themselves, peacefully laying there looking up at the glow-stars stuck upon the ceiling.    
  
“I was laughing because I just...didn’t think this would be a situation in my life.” Barney finally explained. “I don’t know. The whole thing is pretty funny. I just got off the phone with Tommy panicking because I didn’t know how I was going to get out of here. As you’d expect from Tommy, he laughed at me. ”    
  
“ _ I’m so sorry I didn’t think to check if you were still here.” _ _  
_ _  
_ “Its fine I swear! I figured I’d just end up calling Eli anyway and he’d probably wake up your dad, so maybe it was for the best that you came down when you did. Sorry for waking you up. Actually I thought I was just going to have to stay in here.”    
  
Gordon chuckled a little. It sounded like heaven to Barney.    
He wished he could tell him.    
  
“ _ Would you uh..would you like my number at all? So next time this happens you can just text me? I keep my alerts on so I hear them since I don’t do calls. _ ”   
  
Barney tried so hard not to show his excitement over the offer.    
Tried desperately to stay calm and think about anything else other than getting Gordon fucking Freeman’s number.    
  
Was he dead?   
He’s probably dead.    
The number in his phone now said differently.    
  
Gosh he couldn’t wait to tell Alyx about this.    
  
Shit.   
Right.    
Alyx.    
Home.    
  
“I should uh...should probably head home.” Barney yawned almost immediately. It made Gordon laugh more and what Barney wouldn’t give to keep hearing that laugh.   
  
“ _ Right. I think my dad figured everything was fine and went back to sleep. I should probably head back up too since its way to late for me to be walking home myself.”  _ _  
_ _  
_ “Great uh...cool...uhm...I’ll catch you later maybe. I don’t actually know if I’ll make it in to work tomorrow.”    
  
Gordon unlocked the door, waving goodbye to Barney who almost immediately favorite the number in his phone as soon as he got inside his car. He made sure to shoot Tommy one last text telling him everything worked out and made the long trip home without any hold ups.   
  
Now he’d just have to explain to Eli what happened and hope his boss and current land-lord of sorts wasn’t too upset if he couldn’t make it to work for morning shift.    
  


* * *

  
Benrey was doubled over basically heaving and coughing with laughter. Crying hard as he tried his best to compose himself. “That was- that was You? That person who called Tommy at three in the fucking...in the fucking morning was-”   
  
“Yes! It was me! Because book head here locked me in the- oh…”   
  
“Maybe we should quiet down a little?” Tommy suggested.    
  
Barney agreed.    
Gordon was sound asleep now, his head on Barney’s lap. In fairness the day was pretty damn exhausting, the guy had to pass out at some point. Barney didn’t mind at all, gently running his hand through his now husband’s hair.    
  
Freeman quietly sipped at his water, only just having come down from his own fit of laughter over the story.    
  
“I guess there’s worse ways to get someone’s number.” he softly laughed, looking over to Benrey with a clear teasing expression. Benrey promptly looking away knowing exactly what he had planned.    
  
“They don’t gotta know about that, Feetman.”   
  
“Oh I think they do. You guys wanna hear about the time Benrey fell out of a tree on to my lap and then asked me out and for my number at the same time?” 

**Author's Note:**

> My tunglr.hell (tumblr) is Enby-Crow!  
> I'm always free to chat up about aus if you ever wanted to,,


End file.
